What is Echinacea?
Echinacea has become a popular herbal remedy over the years. It is the name of a group of flowering plants in the daisy family, native to North America where they grow in open wooded areas. The plant’s upper and lower parts are used and made into tablets, tinctures and teas for a variety of ailments such as:
Does Echinacea Boost Your Immune System?
Echinacea has been shown to boost white blood cell count and activity which are one of our first line of defence against disease and infection. It also speeds migration of these white blood cells to areas of infection and stops the production of an enzyme that allows pathogenic organism to become more harmful.
Anti-viral Properties
Echinacea’s various components appear to block viral receptor sites on cell surfaces as well as inhibiting the enzyme which increases tissue permeability allowing the virus to become more invasive.
Anti-fungal
Fungal overgrowth is a massive problem for people these days manifesting as thrush, sinusitis, joint pain just to name a few. Echinacea enhances macrophages (little pac man like pathogen engulfing white blood cells) to destroy fungal organisms.
Anti-bacterial
Echinacea has been found to have a mild anti-bacterial affect in the body, and it has been found to inhibit the growth of staphylococcus aureus and diphtheria, two bacteria which pose health threats to humans.
Wound healing
Echinacea has been reported to speed up the healing of damaged tissue by promoting connective tissue regeneration.
Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is a normal immune response created to help protect us from various things but these days people are too inflamed due to stress, toxic burden, poor diet etc. Inflammation when out of control causes an array of health problems, arthritis, IBS, eczema just to name a few. Echinacea has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects due to what has been reported as a cortisone like effect.
Echinacea can be taken by most people but not those with auto-immune issues. It has also shown to be not as effective taken over a long period of time so is recommended to be taken for a few weeks at a time and then a break.